Parks Canada and Canadian Pacific Railway Research are now accepting research ideas aimed at preventing grizzly bears from being struck and killed on the train tracks through Banff and Yoho national parks.
On Tuesday (Oct. 18), Parks and CP issued a request for proposals as part of a $1 million research fund, setting a deadline of Nov. 15 for a notice of intent to submit a proposal.
Parks Canada officials say those researchers with the most promising concepts for dealing with grizzly bear mortality will then be asked to present a proposal by Dec. 15.
Officials say they are seeking research to better understand the root causes of bear mortality on the railway line and for development and testing of mitigations to reduce the risk of collisions.
“We’re incredibly pleased with results of last month’s symposium and feel we’ve built a solid position in which to move forward,” said Tracy Thiessen, executive director of the mountain parks for Parks Canada.
“We couldn’t be more pleased by the reaction from the research community so far and now we’re looking forward to seeing those research ideas.”
Bears are attracted to the railway corridor for various reasons, including grain leaking from railway hopper cars, use as an easy travel corridor, and vegetation along the right-of-way.
Canadian Pacific trains kill one to two grizzlies each year on average. There have been 10 known grizzly bear mortalities since 2001, including eight in the last six years.
Parks Canada and CP have come up with a joint research program which outlines seven key strategies to deal with railway mortality in Banff National Park.
Tests are already being done on electro-mats, which would prevent animals from entering fenced areas of the railway, and on peg boards which would alter the direction in which bears flee advancing trains.
Video footage from trains is being used to study how bears respond to approaching trains and locomotive operators continue to report every bear sighting, including times and locations.
The budget for the research program is $1 million over five years, ending in the fiscal year of 2015/16.
Thiessen said Parks Canada has been successful in dealing with other mortality problem areas in the last couple of decades, including waste management and the Trans-Canada Highway.
“We’re proud of what we’ve achieved with the highway, in which millions and millions have been invested to create wildlife crossings and fencing – and now the railway is where we’re focusing our efforts,” she said.
A selection committee for the research proposals will be made up of two Parks Canada representatives, two Canadian Pacific Railway representatives and two external scientists.
Successful applicants will be notified in early February.
Proponents planning to submit a proposal to the research fund must file a notice of intent form with Kris McCleary at Parks Canada by 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 15 at [email protected]
